| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. 20:46 - Oct 27 with 1613 views | grumpy |
😳 I found that place terrifying.
How I ever learned to swim I will never know.
The woman in the white coat and the long stick 😧 |  | | |  |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 22:35 - Oct 27 with 1485 views | LondonSaint76 |
Yes, I remember them well.
The entrance where you paid to get in was behind the deep end, I remember it had viewing windows and from memory they were near the bottom of the pool so you could see people swimming about above you which looked weird from below and when someone dived in from one of the high boards it was like an explosion with millions of bubbles.
Think I am right in saying the deep end was 16ft and the diving boards were Olympic standard - if that’s wrong, it was a long time ago.
Oh yes, and their after-swim cheese rolls in the canteen were gorgeous. |  | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 23:20 - Oct 27 with 1414 views | grumpy |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 22:35 - Oct 27 by LondonSaint76 |
Yes, I remember them well.
The entrance where you paid to get in was behind the deep end, I remember it had viewing windows and from memory they were near the bottom of the pool so you could see people swimming about above you which looked weird from below and when someone dived in from one of the high boards it was like an explosion with millions of bubbles.
Think I am right in saying the deep end was 16ft and the diving boards were Olympic standard - if that’s wrong, it was a long time ago.
Oh yes, and their after-swim cheese rolls in the canteen were gorgeous. |
That was what was called ‘The New Baths’ that replaced the ‘Old’. | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 07:04 - Oct 28 with 1228 views | kernow |
Don't remember the 'old' baths but remember the 'new' baths and the lido. |  | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 08:19 - Oct 28 with 1153 views | kingslandstand1 |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 22:35 - Oct 27 by LondonSaint76 |
Yes, I remember them well.
The entrance where you paid to get in was behind the deep end, I remember it had viewing windows and from memory they were near the bottom of the pool so you could see people swimming about above you which looked weird from below and when someone dived in from one of the high boards it was like an explosion with millions of bubbles.
Think I am right in saying the deep end was 16ft and the diving boards were Olympic standard - if that’s wrong, it was a long time ago.
Oh yes, and their after-swim cheese rolls in the canteen were gorgeous. |
Correct on those stats, but generally the top 2 boards weren't always open. Who on earth would want to jump off a 10m board for crying out loud!
I also learnt to swim there as did 1000's of kids
In my working days I had reason to walk across that curved ceiling in the void when the place was being rebounded to "Centre 2000" back in the late 80's
Picture that pool with no water in it and fully scaffolded up to that ceiling so it can be painted! Daunting |  |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 08:29 - Oct 28 with 1138 views | Chesham_Saint |
The swimming baths are closed!? 
Clearly I need to get out an about more. You’ll be telling me the ice rink is gone next…🥹 |  |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 08:49 - Oct 28 with 1106 views | HytheFerrytales |
Verucas, impetigo and cheese rolls were always available for discerning bathers. | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 09:31 - Oct 28 with 1038 views | SaintNick |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 22:35 - Oct 27 by LondonSaint76 |
Yes, I remember them well.
The entrance where you paid to get in was behind the deep end, I remember it had viewing windows and from memory they were near the bottom of the pool so you could see people swimming about above you which looked weird from below and when someone dived in from one of the high boards it was like an explosion with millions of bubbles.
Think I am right in saying the deep end was 16ft and the diving boards were Olympic standard - if that’s wrong, it was a long time ago.
Oh yes, and their after-swim cheese rolls in the canteen were gorgeous. |
I seem to remember the deep end was 16ft 6 inches, the pool started at 3ft deep at one end and then slowly got deeper to about 6ft, then dropped sharply down to the full depth about half way. |  |
| Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 10:14 - Oct 28 with 986 views | HytheFerrytales |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 09:31 - Oct 28 by SaintNick |
I seem to remember the deep end was 16ft 6 inches, the pool started at 3ft deep at one end and then slowly got deeper to about 6ft, then dropped sharply down to the full depth about half way. |
That's how I recall it.
Memories fade but I still remember the excitement back in the 60" being ferried over now and again to take a dip.Would probably gave been less hassle to just jump off Hythe Pier.
A crafty Google tells me there were Turkish baths there but I don't recall them. | | | |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 10:18 - Oct 28 with 979 views | franniesTache |
Not sure how true it is but i remember a story at the time that the people building the "new" baths had gone for an olympic length but not taken into account the tiles, so when the pool was complete it was half a cm short of qualifying for official olympic length.
Could be one of those urban myths as there was a few at the time (anyone remember the razor blades in the flume/whip story that i think every nipper in the city had heard) |  | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 10:30 - Oct 28 with 964 views | SaintNick |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 10:18 - Oct 28 by franniesTache |
Not sure how true it is but i remember a story at the time that the people building the "new" baths had gone for an olympic length but not taken into account the tiles, so when the pool was complete it was half a cm short of qualifying for official olympic length.
Could be one of those urban myths as there was a few at the time (anyone remember the razor blades in the flume/whip story that i think every nipper in the city had heard) |
Yes I remember that, fact about the length of the baths hence it couldnt be used for big competitions despite having the seating capacity for events of that nature.
The flume was only added in the late 1980's early 90's and after that date I didn't go that often to the baths, in fact I rarely went after the mid 1970's I just wasn't that interested in swimming | |
| Satisfying The Bloodlust Of The Masses In Peacetime |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 10:36 - Oct 28 with 959 views | grumpy |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 10:18 - Oct 28 by franniesTache |
Not sure how true it is but i remember a story at the time that the people building the "new" baths had gone for an olympic length but not taken into account the tiles, so when the pool was complete it was half a cm short of qualifying for official olympic length.
Could be one of those urban myths as there was a few at the time (anyone remember the razor blades in the flume/whip story that i think every nipper in the city had heard) |
I heard that.
I couldn’t understand why they didn’t address that as that stopped Olympic events being held there if that was the case I would have thought. | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 11:13 - Oct 28 with 899 views | Ifonly |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 10:18 - Oct 28 by franniesTache |
Not sure how true it is but i remember a story at the time that the people building the "new" baths had gone for an olympic length but not taken into account the tiles, so when the pool was complete it was half a cm short of qualifying for official olympic length.
Could be one of those urban myths as there was a few at the time (anyone remember the razor blades in the flume/whip story that i think every nipper in the city had heard) |
That's what we were all told as kids but it was probably an urban myth, nothing to back it up. But apparently this really did happen in Portsmouth:
https://www.tntmagazine.com/ar | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 12:37 - Oct 28 with 828 views | Jellybaby |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 08:19 - Oct 28 by kingslandstand1 |
Correct on those stats, but generally the top 2 boards weren't always open. Who on earth would want to jump off a 10m board for crying out loud!
I also learnt to swim there as did 1000's of kids
In my working days I had reason to walk across that curved ceiling in the void when the place was being rebounded to "Centre 2000" back in the late 80's
Picture that pool with no water in it and fully scaffolded up to that ceiling so it can be painted! Daunting |
I remember going up to the high board (think it was the top one - felt like it!) as a kid and being terrified looking over the side. Needless to say I went back the way I came!  | |
| I wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it. |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 12:52 - Oct 28 with 793 views | yateleysaint |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 11:13 - Oct 28 by Ifonly |
That's what we were all told as kids but it was probably an urban myth, nothing to back it up. But apparently this really did happen in Portsmouth:
https://www.tntmagazine.com/ar |
What I wouldn’t give for 2 more inches. |  |
| You cannot reason a person out of something they were not reasoned into. |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 13:25 - Oct 28 with 767 views | kingslandstand1 |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 12:37 - Oct 28 by Jellybaby |
I remember going up to the high board (think it was the top one - felt like it!) as a kid and being terrified looking over the side. Needless to say I went back the way I came! |
I used to do that on the 3rd board  | |
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 13:33 - Oct 28 with 733 views | franniesTache |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 13:25 - Oct 28 by kingslandstand1 |
I used to do that on the 3rd board |
I don't ever remember using the high board but i do remember having to dive into the deep end to collect a black brick | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 13:59 - Oct 28 with 686 views | Snowy |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 22:35 - Oct 27 by LondonSaint76 |
Yes, I remember them well.
The entrance where you paid to get in was behind the deep end, I remember it had viewing windows and from memory they were near the bottom of the pool so you could see people swimming about above you which looked weird from below and when someone dived in from one of the high boards it was like an explosion with millions of bubbles.
Think I am right in saying the deep end was 16ft and the diving boards were Olympic standard - if that’s wrong, it was a long time ago.
Oh yes, and their after-swim cheese rolls in the canteen were gorgeous. |
Anyone remember the hot drinks machine? The soup must have been the hottest liquid known to man, Lethal. | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 17:48 - Oct 28 with 539 views | kingslandstand1 |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 13:33 - Oct 28 by franniesTache |
I don't ever remember using the high board but i do remember having to dive into the deep end to collect a black brick |
Ah, the good old black brick! Never went down in the deep end but did before it dropped from the 6' (ish) to the 16' 6". Also remember having to swim the width in our pyjamas for some reason
But have just found this pic from the distant past. I'm sure the top board was about the 10m mark
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| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 19:18 - Oct 28 with 476 views | Ifonly |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 17:48 - Oct 28 by kingslandstand1 |
Ah, the good old black brick! Never went down in the deep end but did before it dropped from the 6' (ish) to the 16' 6". Also remember having to swim the width in our pyjamas for some reason
But have just found this pic from the distant past. I'm sure the top board was about the 10m mark
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I think some of those bricks were mine because I was shitting bricks whenever I went up to the 3rd board. I only went up there because I was forced to by my older brothers. I never dived though, only jumped and tried not to die.
I could just about manage the 2nd which was the springy one on the far side of this picture. I thought that was brave at the time but it looks like nothing in this picture. | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 11:02 - Oct 29 with 246 views | kernow |
As a 10 year old I would jump off the 10m diving board shouting Geronimo. My mum was terrified.
I remember a famous diver called Brian Phelps who used to practise there. I think he may have been an Olympian. He performed some impressive routines off the high board and the 3m high springboard. He would adjust the springiness with the foot wheel and would get arsey if anyone tampered with it after he had set it. He was a bit full of himself but I guess I was just a little twerp. | | | |
| Anyone remember the old baths in Southampton. on 11:56 - Oct 29 with 209 views | grumpy |
I used to work with Ray Terrell,he was a Olympic swimmer who swam at Southampton Swimming Club. | | | |
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